Over the years the birth rate in the United States and lots of other countries around the world has been declining. In fact the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has issued provisional data for 2023 that shows a 2% decrease in the birth rate since 2022.
However, this doesn't seem to be the case in one Kansas county, where the sheriff's office has welcomed 15 babies over a one-year period since "circa 2023."
In a wonderful photo shared on the Facebook page of the Boone County Sheriff's Office, the officers are captured all together with their youngsters.
The post was met with many comments expressing gratitude for the work the officers carry out on behalf of the citizens of Boone County. And as one person commented, these young parents are certainly ensuring a generation of future deputies.
Impressively, Kyla Scudder of Kyla Mae Photography, who charged no fee for the photoshoot, managed to capture the sweet baby-sheriff reunion with most of the babies actually looking at the camera.
Scudder loved the idea of volunteering her services, sharing with Fox News Digital: "They do so much for our community … giving back in a way was really neat."
She also pointed out that although 15 officers and their babies appear in the photo, there were other deputies who also added to the baby boom. The photographer also said she'd be delighted to take another photo in the future for the next baby boom, which is a realistic project!
A family affair
As Sergeant Chris Hull, who appears with his second child in the photo, said: "We knew there would be a bunch of babies born at the same time, and we waited [to take a picture]," adding "It will be fun going forward, seeing kids at the same age and having the families be together and help each other out."
Deputy Jake Bolton, who is featured in the photo alongside his first daughter, although he and his wife are also expecting a little boy later in the year, stated: "As a department, it brings us closer together — especially having kids all the same age who continue to grow up together and continue to have good times."
Hopefully having such a strong sense of family in the law enforcement office will enable the deputies to have a real understanding of each other, and will allow them to offer each other support in the good times and the not so easy moments of raising children.
